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The Look: Let It Go

• 6th Aug 2012

The music industry is an ever changing world and is now dominated by the likes of teen pop stars and X Factor finalists. However, take yourself back to a time when MTV had just been invented and perms were all the rage, you will be sure to remember The Look and ‘I am the Beat’.

This unique band was formed in the Seventies when friends-since-school Jonny Whetstone and Mick Bass decided to start writing and performing their own music. The front man – Jonny with his rugged style is perfect on both vocals and guitar. Mick is best known for his fantastic ability and skill on the Hammond . They started out as progressive rock band, The Kreed, but as they picked up bassist Gus Goad, who has worked with musical legends including Bjork and Steve Coogan, they reformed as ‘The Look’, were signed to MCA Records, and never looked back.

Their hit single ‘I am the Beat’ in 1981 sold 200,000 copies in the UK within three months, and considerably more Worldwide. Reportedly, this was the first record Damon Albarn ever bought. They went straight to number 6 in the charts which led to their memorable performance on hit television shows ‘Top of the Pops’ and Tiswas. The Look soon became favourites of the likes of Radio1 DJ Simon Bates and Ted Carroll from Chiswick Records. Unfortunately, The Look’s record label later went bust, however, this didn’t stop the band from soldiering on and doing what they did best – playing to crowds of tens of thousands of loyal fans.

Back in 2004, The Look brought out their second album, ‘Pop Yowlin’ which CD Universe described as a collection of ‘perfect little pop/rock nuggets’. But this time around The Look are taking things a step further with their new album ‘Tunes and Stories’. They have signed to a new record label – Beat Town Records and have secured an exciting new management deal with Urban Influence’s Julian White, which has led to a publishing deal with the stupendous Demon Music Group. To add to this triumph, The Look also have the world acclaimed Universal distributing their long awaited new album.

The Look understand it is important to continue to develop their music and were also keen to stay with their tradition of picking up local talent, therefore to do this, they have drafted in the help of teenage guitarist Jake Jacobs, from Jonny’s home village of Woolpit in Suffolk. Jake was also joined in the studio by backing singers Amelia Whetstone and Rachel Kate Bryceland. The band were also fortunate enough to attract the attention of Alex Baird who plays drums on every track of the new album – Alex is the man who once powered the Jag’s ‘Back of your Hand’ to the charts.

Although you may not have seen much of their faces recently, radio DJ’s such as Chris Evans have still been championing ‘I am the Beat’, so it won’t have been long since you heard their music. The Look are sure to reignite the feel good feeling that ‘I am the Beat’ did, but this time with a whole album of catchy, foot tapping tunes. Their loyal fans in countries across the Globe will instantly fall back in love with the band they’ve missed over the last few decades and these new songs are also going to attract a new audience to the already strong following.